Light The Night

Every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer.

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) celebrates with Light The Night walks that honor lives touched by cancer and raise support for the search to find cures.

An estimated 137,260 people in the United States will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2010. New cases of leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma will account for 9.0 percent of the 1,529,560 new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States this year.

Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma will cause the deaths of an estimated 54,020 people in the United States this year. These blood cancers will account for nearly 9.5 percent of the deaths from cancer in 2010 based on the 569,490 total cancer-related deaths.

Last year LLS researchers were conducting more than 90 clinical trials, a critical step in the development of new treatments and cures that will help patients like me live better, longer lives.

In addition to funding vital research, the LLS also provides grants to assist patients with medical costs. As the recipient of a few of these grants, I know how helpful they can be.

The Colorado Springs Light The Night walk takes place on Thursday, September 23 and Susan and I will be there. I want to be a “Champion for Cures,” which means I need a minimum of 10 people to sponsor me at $10 each. If you would like to be one of them, go to LightTheNight/Donate and make an online pledge.